Playboy: Is it unsettling or just ironic to be part of the same company as Fox News?

Groening: Fox News gives me a headache and not even so much for its political content but the spinning logos and American flags and music designed to scare you shitless. Who needs it? We make fun of Fox News on the show. The most fun we had was putting a news crawl like theirs on the bottom of the screen. It said things like "Rupert Murdoch: terrific dancer," Brad Pitt plus Albert Einstein equals Dick Cheney," "Study: 92 percent of Democrats are gay," "The Bible says Jesus favored capital gains cut." [Note: this was on the episode in which Crusty the Clown ran for Congress--see the video]

Playboy: What was the reaction at the network?

Groening: We were forbidden ever to do it again. Fox said it would confuse viewers. I don't see how you would think it's real news on a cartoon show, but we'll see.